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Scouting Resources

European Jamboree 2020 Rescheduled to August 2-13, 2021

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Dear colleagues and friends,

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22,500 Scouts and Guides from all over the world have decided to come to Poland in the summer of 2020 to join the European Jamboree, ready for the experience of a lifetime. Many of them started their preparations more than two years ago. The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lots of plans and caused great sorrow and uncertainty in many parts of the world. During all this, Scouts and Guides have stepped up to serve their communities. This should, in a time of great concern, give us great confidence that our movement is naturally responding to new realities, mobilising to be the social force that can make a difference in local communities.

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At the same time, the Jamboree Organisation was faced with the difficult question of navigating the event through this uncertainty. The Jamboree Executive Team, ZHP, WOSM and WAGGGS, in partnership with the Polish health authorities, have carefully monitored the global health situation since the beginnings of the outbreak. After extensively evaluating different scenarios, we have decided to reschedule the European Jamboree to 2021. By canceling the event, the financial and emotional impact for contingents would have been significant. By moving the European Jamboree to next summer, we are opening up the opportunity for the experience of a lifetime once more – the possibility for Scouts and Guides to still dream about their international jamboree adventure.

We are aware that our world will face challenges, even after the global pandemic has been contained: e.g. the development of the global health situation as well as the long-term financial impacts on Scouting, Guiding and all other parts of life. Together with ZHP, WOSM and WAGGGS, we will continue monitoring the situation with as a first priority the health and safety of all.

Yet in a post-pandemic world, we want the European Jamboree to be a beacon of hope and understanding, of unity and solidarity – for young people and adults. Let us use the European Jamboree as a moment of revival and recovery and set an example in good Scouting and Guiding spirit.

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Moving the European Jamboree to 2021 will come with its own set of challenges. As the Jamboree Organisation, we are prepared to work on delivering a phenomenal event with utmost dedication. But it will require all our solidarity, creativity, determination and flexibility to make it happen. All of us might need to make sacrifices and compromises to achieve something truly remarkable in times where this is needed more than ever.

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Wishing you and your loved ones good health and all the best, I remain,

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Yours in Scouting and Guiding,
Karol Gzyl, Jamboree Director
On behalf of the Jamboree Executive Team

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Dear Members of the Canadian Contingent, who are now "Treasured Friends in Scouting",

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Thank you for your continued efforts, enthusiam, support, kindness, and teamwork over the past 14 months that we've planned together, every step of the way, our particiation in European Jamboree 2020. From your recent survey answers and comments, there was a strong hope that EJ2020 would not be cancelled, but instead postponed like the Olympics and other large events. While we all value our health and safety, including that of the general population, we nonetheless requested that EJ2020 be postponed, if possible, and not cancelled. Our wish has been granted and I know that I am very thankful for a safe and happy outcome for us all! The new date in August 2021 does not interfere with the Norwegian Jamboree (July 3-10, 2021) or the BSA National Jamboree (July 21-30, 2021) that some of our members have already decided to attend.

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AIRFARE: While there will be some money lost, almost everyone purchased travel insurance including trip cancellation insurance and this will help greatly to mitigrate finanical impact. Rachel Pentecostes at Travel Cuts informed me last week that the current travel advisory by the Government of Canada is sufficient to claim reimbursement for airfare cancellation from Allianz (more info regarding this procedure is below). Both groups and individuals face a cancellations fees which can again be claimed through insurance, or may be offered a travel credit. However, if you know you will definiely participate in EJ2020 next summer, you may instead choose a travel credit from the airlines, in which case you lose no money at all. Please email Holly Slater, call or email Tracey Lamanque, or contact your independent travel agent.

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INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS made in 2019: The first and second installments of participants in patrols and the first payment of ISTs have already been sent to Poland, who announced from the beginning that if a participant drops from the process, their fees would not be returned. Therefore, if you are not participating with us next summer, please claim this amount with travel insurance as acommodation expenses. If you ARE attending EJ with us next year, do NOT claim for installments through insurance, because that exact amount of money is the same amount requested for your participation next year. Thus, it is not lost and claiming that it is lost would constitute insurance fraud. And so if you are attending EJ2020 next year, please claim only your lost amounts for airfare if you do not choose a travel voucher or travel credits.

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For group bookings, Holly and Tracey are requesting one representative contact them to cancel bookings on behalf of Patrols 4 (Scouter Tonille and Brian), 6 (Scouters Fiona and Julie), 7 and 10 (Scouters Chris and Karol), and 8 and 11 (Scouters Danielle, Neil, and Jaime).

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FINAL INSTALLMENT: All of the third payments of participants in patrols will be returned (if paid by PayPal or money order) or shredded (cheque). The same actions will be taken for all IST volunteers on their second payment. A few ISTs paid both $235 installments in a single cheque in 2019, and to keep the finances clean, I will request that Quebec Council send you a cheque for $235. I suspect that Lisa Quarrie will not be able to do this until the National Service Centre reopens, so please be patient.

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CONTINGENT GEAR: Scoutgear.ca shirts, hats, jackets, and other clothing items will arrive by post in May.The final 50% payment of the Zone West neckers and badges was made on Wednesday and they are in transit to my house now. The timing of the sorting and shipping of the neckers and badges at chez Luckow will depend on the length of the social distancing and stay-at-home measures created for the good of public health. Members of 2nd Westmount/St. Andrew's, Greenfield Park, Trinity, and Mont Royal Groups in QC Council have all volunteered to help, but they may have to wait quite some time to do so. We will revisit this plan at the end of April and decide a course of action (waiting until the summer to sort and ship versus me doing it slowly on my own).

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IF YOU ARE 17 THIS SUMMER: The only question left unanswered is the status of those 17-year-olds who would have been participants this summer and who will be 18 next summer. In the materials I have received, the Jamboree Executive Team is not yet sure themselves whether this year's oldest participants will be permitted to remain participants next year, or if they will be requested to become ISTs. If you are going to be 18 on or before August 2, 2021, you may be asked to become an IST, and so please keep this in mind when deciding if you wish to remain registered. Unfortunately, there is no answer available for you at this time.

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In order to facilitate registration and accounting, you will each be sent a survey regarding your intentions to participate in EJ2020 next summer. The survey will be sent by email on Thursday, April 9, and your are requested to complete it by Monday, April 13. Thank you very much, in advance.

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In closing, I wish to offer you my sincere gratitude for everything each of you has done towards this great adventure. This is a happy ending for many of us, and now there is another whole year to dream, plan, get excited, fundraise, and get to know one another better. If you need help with any of the steps each of you has to take, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. There are several resources below containing the information I've gleaned in the past few weeks, as well as a PDF copy of the circular I was sent from the EJ2020 team. I wish you health, happiness, patience, and serenity as we wait for this evolving and ever-changing pandemic to play itself out on the world stage, communities, and our own homes. There are undoubtedly some rough times ahead. Please rely on familiy, friends, and your Scouting community using the technology we are so lucky to have. Until we finally meet in 2021, please take good care of yourselves and one another.